Includes MASSIVE SPOILERS for The Stormlight Archive through Wind and Truth
WithWind and Truthout of the way, these are some of the most compelling theories for Arc 2 ofThe Stormlight Archive. With dozens of published novels,The Stormlight Archiveis commonly believed to be the opus of Brandon Sanderson’s career, as it’s his most extensive and complex series.Wind and Truth’sendingmarked the conclusion of his first set of five books, and it will be followed by another set of five in the coming years. The recent book is Sanderson’s biggest volume yet (and that’s saying something), and it laid the foundation for several upcoming narratives.
With everything we know about Roshar and theCosmere universeas a whole, there are infinite possibilities for theory-crafting. In fact, theorization is going to be allThe Stormlight Archivefans have for the next set of years.Brandon Sanderson’s upcoming booksinclude several Cosmere titles to round out the decade, but he’s taking a break fromThe Stormlight ArchivefollowingWind and Truth.The next book in the series is expected to hit shelves in December 2031, meaning a seven-year gap between volumes. In-world, there’s expected to be ten years between books 5 & 6.
8Shallan Will Return To Roshar As An Older Woman
Shallan Won’t Be Able To Avoid The Time Bubble
Shallan Davar fulfilled her arc inThe Stormlight ArchiveArc 1 by finding self-acceptance, fulfilling her love with Adolin, and defeating the Ghostbloods. Unfortunately, she found herselfstuck in Shadesmar at the end of the book with no way to return to Roshar. To make matters more dire, she’s also pregnant with Adolin’s child.
It seems likely that Shallan will be forced to worldhop in order to make her way back, creating anInterstellar-like dilemma.
Shallan will be spending the time gap between books trying to find her way back to Roshar, but the time bubble surrounding the planet complicates matters. She can remain in Shadesmar, still in Roshar’s bubble, butif she travels to another planet, time will progress faster for her than it will back home. It seems likely that Shallan will be forced to worldhop to make her way back, creating anInterstellar-like dilemma. By the time she’s able to return, she and her children could be older than when we last saw them.
7Valor Is Hiding Somewhere On Roshar (Explaining The Fourth Moon)
Valor Could Be Roshar’s Fourth Shard
Out of theShards of Adonalsium, Valor is one that has remained a significant question mark. We’ve known that Roshar has three moons for a while, with their colors believed to represent the Shards Odium, Honor, and Cultivation. Thereveal of a fourth moon hypothetically means a fourth god, leading fans to suspect Valor. The fourth moon shattered and crashed into the planet before even Honor arrived, leaving behind a strange metal.
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As for Valor’s whereabouts, Endowment stated in her letters to Hoid that she sent aid to Valor, which could be referring to Nightblood. Nightblood and Vasher come from the planet Nalthis, whereWarbreakertakes place and Endowment is the Shard. If she sent Valor help, it could imply that Valor is already on Roshar, right under Retribution’s nose, and has been plotting something the entire time.
6Lift Will Be The Primary Hero Of Arc 2 (Filling Kaladin’s Role)
Lift’s Training With Zahel Will Be Game-Changing
With Stormlight leaving Roshar, theorders of the Knights Radiantare essentially null for the time being.Given that Lift’s power comes from Lifelight, the Investiture form of Cultivation, she’ll still have access to her powersand irregular way of consuming her energy. As shown in the graph below, we also know that Lift will be the main flashback character of book 6.
1.The Way of Kings
2.Words of Radiance
4.Rhythm of War
5.Wind and Truth
10.Unknown
Jasnah
With Lift being the first POV flashback character forThe Stormlight Archive’snext volume, she’s perfectly suited to have an arc that mirrors Kaladin’s fromThe Way of Kings. We’ve seen Lift as a child, but the next time she appears, she’ll be a young woman. In Kaladin’s absence, she’s going to be the hero holding down the fort, especially after she trains with Zahel to become a talented fighter.
5Nohadon Is Some Form Of Adonalsium
Nohadon Isn’t Who We Thought He Was
Nohadon has always been a curious character throughoutThe Stormlight Archive, but the ancient king we thought we knew fromThe Way of Kingsseems even more perplexing afterWind and Truth. His final moment with Dalinar suggests thatNohadon is someone far more integral to the overarching narrative, potentially even Adonalsium itself or some remnant of Adonalsium’s power. It’s too early to suggest anything definitive, and there are some brilliant theories about who Nohadon might actually be, but it’s hard not to note that his name ends in ADON.
4Adolin Will Defeat The Evil Blackthorn
Adolin Will Have Unresolved Feelings Toward Dalinar
Possibly one of the most upsetting aspects ofWind and Truth’sending is that Adolin was left without a proper resolution to the conflicts with his father. He’ll spend years healing from his father’s passing, and even though Dalinar offered him some metaphysical touch to show his pride and forgiveness,Adolin will still likely spend years wishing he’d had another opportunity to speak to the man. The fact that there’s another evil version of his father out there now sets up a perfect moment of reckoning.
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Seeing the evil Blackthorn will be devastating for members of the Kholin family and anyone who saw Dalinar as a hero, but particularly so for Adolin. Not only is this Blackthorn working under Retribution’s orders, but he’s alsoa copy of the version of Dalinar who got Evi killed. There would be some poetic justice to Adolin fully forgiving his father as he eliminates the essence of the Dalinar whose bloodlust effectively killed his mother.
3Kaladin Will Take Up The Shard Of Honor
Kaladin Will End The Series As A Vessel
Before Dalinar picked up the Shard of Honor inWind and Truth, he and Kaladin were considered by fans to be the top candidates to do so. Since Dalinar is no longer available, and Honor is now left in the hands of Taravangian, there’s room to consider who will end the series holding the Shard. Kaladin is the King of the Heralds, buthe’s been described as the living embodiment of honor so frequently that it seems only right for him to end the series as the Vessel. After the heroes defeat Retribution, this seems like the perfect outcome.
2Syl Will Bring Stormlight Back To Roshar
Syl Is The Stormfather’s Daughter
Syl is currently with Kaladin and the Heralds, but she’s the most likely candidate to bring Stormlight back to Roshar. With the Stormfather being gone, having his power inherited by his daughter could be a fantastic full-circle moment. Kaladin returning with the Heralds andSyl bringing Stormlight back to the Knights Radiant would be amazing as a turning of the tides moment, and one that would feel earned after decades of storytelling. Given that Stormlight is in the title of the series, it seems unlikely that it would stay gone for very long.
1Cultivation Has A Deeper Plan Of Her Own
Cultivation Could Be Working With Other Shards
Cultivation is a major X-factor inThe Stormlight Archive’ssecond arc, and readers have been quite hard on her for her inaction inWind and Truth. While it could have just been handled this way for plot convenience, another possibility is that Cultivation wanted the outcome we saw.Cultivation was the one who prepared Taravangian as a candidate to become Odium’s Vesselby altering his intelligence. She was also the one who took away Dalinar’s memories and then returned them, allowing him to grieve before Odium attempted to turn him into his champion inOathbringer.
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Cultivation left Roshar as soon as Retribution did, which could have been part of her plan all along. OneReddituser posted a compelling theory that suggests Cultivation, Endowment, and Valor, are all working together, which calls back to the Valor theory from earlier. There’s so much going on inThe Stormlight Archiveand the Cosmere that we don’t know about, and it’ll be fascinating to see where everything leads.
